Text Type Form Language Features

Interpretive Feature Article Attention grabbing headline

(for a Subheading
newspaper, Byline
journal or Introduction to hook readers
magazine)
(direct statement, example,
hypothetical question)
Expert opinion
Direct quotations
Facts and statistics
Language
- creative and colourful
- use of anecdotes
- figurative language
- use of first person
acceptable
- variety of long and short
sentences and
paragraphs
- present tense
Interpretive Letters to the Introduction outlines the
Editor topic and the writers
(if emailing, use opinion
the greeting: Body paragraphs develop
Sir/Madam or the argument logically,
Dear Sir point by point, including
/Madam) rebuttal
Conclusion re-states
opinion, or is a call to action
or solution
Formal language
Vocabulary appropriate to
the issue
Informative but also forceful
and persuasive
Use of examples
Use of statistics
Dramatic, emotional to
provoke a response
Clear topic sentences
Language
- complete and correct
sentences and
paragraphs
- present or past tense
- first person is acceptable
- rhetorical questions

Interpretive Essay General introduction

(Analytical for a Body paragraphs to develop
specific journal; the argument logically, with
Reflective for a clear topic sentences, well
specific journal) explained and developed
arguments and the final
sentence clinching your
argument
Language
The following are also part of the persuasive genre, but their form
and features have already been included under Interpretive Texts
(above):
Letters to the Editor
Speeches
Feature articles
Monologue (a long speech by one actor in a play or film, or as
part of a theatrical or broadcast programme) Not
recommended by JC!

Excerpt from the SCSA Glossary on Text Types:

Types of texts Classifications of texts according to the particular
purposes they are designed to
achieve. In general, in the senior courses in the English curriculum,
texts are
classified as imaginative, interpretive, persuasive or analytical types
of texts,
although these distinctions are neither static nor discrete and
particular texts
can belong to more than one category.
Analytical texts
Texts whose primary purpose is to identify, examine and draw
conclusions
about the elements or components that make up other texts.
Analytical texts
develop an argument or consider or advance an interpretation.
Examples of
these texts include commentaries, essays in criticism, reflective or
discursive
responses and reviews.
Imaginative texts
Texts whose primary purpose is to entertain or provoke thought
through their
imaginative use of literary elements. They are recognised for their
form, style
and artistic or aesthetic value. These texts include novels,
traditional tales,
poetry, stories, plays, fiction for young adults and children, including
picture
books, and multimodal texts such as film.
Interpretive texts
Texts whose primary purpose is to explain and interpret
personalities, events,
ideas, representations or concepts. They include autobiography,
biography,
media feature articles, documentary film and other non-fiction texts.
There is a
focus on interpretive rather than informative texts in the senior
years of
schooling.
Persuasive texts
Texts whose primary purpose is to put forward a point of view and
persuade a
reader, viewer or listener. They form a significant part of modern
communication in both print and digital environments. They include
advertising,
debates, arguments, discussions, polemics and essays and articles.